Page 3 of 3 · complaints 101–111 of 111

2010 Chevrolet Avalanche complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2010 record →

Trailer Hitches
Filed May 7, 201570,000 milesSC

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ORIGINAL VEHICLE TOW HITCH WAS CORRODED AND FRACTURED WHILE THE TRAILER WAS ATTACHED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

Structure
Filed Jan 18, 2015110,000 milesMD

THE PLASTIC DASH HAS BEGAN TO SPILT IN NUMEROUS PLACES CAUSING SAFETY CONCERNS. THE DASH IS WORSENING AS TIME PASSES BY. I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE THE PLASTIC SHARDS MAY BREAK LOOSE AND CAUSE HARM TO OCCUPANTS RIDING IN MY VEHICLE. IT IS MY POSITION THAT THE CRACKS ARE AA MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AND NO VAULT OF MY OWN. I CONTACTED BOTH MY LOCAL DEALER AND GMC FAILING TO GET RESOLUTION TO THIS SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. ACCORDING TO VARIOUS INTERNET BLOGS AND A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF GM SUV OWNERS ACROSS THE NATION HAVING THE SAME SAFETY CONCERNS. ANY ASSISTANCE WITH THIS ISSUE IS EXTREMELY APPRECIATED. *TR

Unknown or Other
Filed Oct 21, 201437,500 milesDC

MY TRUCK DASH IS CRACKED IN TWO PLACES. ONE CRACK IS NEAR THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG AND THE OTHER IS ON TOP OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ON THE DRIVER SIDE. THE ONE ABOVE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS VERY VERY BAD IT'S ABOUT 6 INCHES LONG AND COMPLETELY CAVED IN. MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY BECAUSE IT IS 4 YEARS OLD BUT IT IS ONLY 2000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY BY MILEAGE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS IN THE EXACT SAME AREAS.

Engine
Filed Sep 2, 201446,000 milesLA

I WAS ON VACATION AND HAD MY AVALANCHE RUNNING WHILE I PACKED IT UP TO RETURN HOME. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES OF RUNNING IDLE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE DISPLAY SHOWED REDUCED ENGINE POWER, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, AND SERVICE STABILITRAK. THIS HAD HAPPENED TO THE TRUCK THREE TIMES BEFORE AND EACH TIME THEY REPLACED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITIONAL SENSOR. (I ALSO HAD A 2007 CHEVROLET TAHOE, AND AFTER HAVING IT REPAIRED SEVEN TIMES FOR FAILING SENSORS AND GOING INTO REDUCED ENGINE POWER WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY THREE TIMES WE WERE FORCED TO SELL IT). WE ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS ISSUE! HOWEVER, I WAS ABLE TO LOCATE A DEALERSHIP IN THE AREA AND THEY TESTED IT TO FIND THAT THE THROTTLE BODY WAS OUT, AND THEY REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY AND THE ASSOCIATED SENSOR. I WAS RELIEVED TO HEAR THAT THIS WAS A DIFFERENT ISSUE THAN BEFORE AND THAT MY PROBLEMS WERE FIXED. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. LAST WEEK, THE ENGINE POWER REDUCED AGAIN AND THE TRUCK IS NOW IN THE SHOP FOR THE FIFTH TIME. *TR

Electrical System
Filed Aug 29, 201446,500 milesLA

I WAS DRIVING ON A BRIDGE WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ENGINE POWER REDUCED. THE TRUCK IMMEDIATELY DROPPED TO BELOW 30 MPH AND I COULD NOT ACCELERATE UP THE BRIDGE AND BARELY AVOIDING AN ACCIDENT, AS THIS WAS IN A HEAVY TRAFFIC AREA. I WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND ARE WORKING ON IT NOW. THIS IF THE FIFTH TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MY TRUCK. MY WIFE AND I JUST SOLD OUR 2007 CHEVROLET TAHOE AND THE ONLY REASON WAS THE ENGINE POWER REDUCED ERROR OCCURRED ON IT SEVEN TIMES, THREE IN MONTH PRIOR TO SELLING IT. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND COULD HAVE EASILY RESULTED IN A SEVERE ACCIDENT. BOTH CARS WERE ONLY EVER SERVICED AT CHEVROLET DEALERSHIPS AND EACH TIME, THEY INSISTED IT WAS FIXED AND THE PROBLEM WAS GONE. WE HAVE NO FAITH IN CHEVROLET AT THIS TIME! *TR

Air Bags
Filed Jul 24, 201447,083 milesTN

CRACK APPEARED IN DASH WHILE TRUCK WAS PARKED COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG LOCATION. THE BAG MAY CATCH ON THE CRACK IF IT WAS DEPLOYED. *TR

Electrical System
Filed Jul 21, 201450,000 milesPA

GM TSB #10047479 THIS IS A WELL KNOW PROBLEM ON GM TRUCK AND SUV MODELS WITH POWER ADJUSTABLE PEDALS. THE WIRES RUB AGAINST THE MECHANISM CAUSING A SHORT AND MAKING ERRORS TO THE COMPUTER CAUSING COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS AND LOSS OF POWER. REPAIRED AT DEALERSHIP, AND CHARGED $300 FOR LABOR NO PARTS INVOLVED. NOT COVERED BECAUSE IT IS A TSB, NOT A RECALL. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL BECAUSE IT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT FROM LOSS OF POWER. *TR

Engine
Filed Mar 14, 2014100,000 milesNY

AFTER I PURCHASE THE CAR BRAND NEW IN 2010 UNDER MY BROTHER IN LAW'S NAME, I HAVE PROBABLY FIX THE CAR 5 TIMES FOR ENGINE POWER REDUCE, STABILITRAK AND ALL EVERY SERVICE LIGHTS AT THE DEALER BUT IT HAD HAPPEN AGAIN ON HIGHWAY AGAIN YESTERDAY, SAW THAT GM RECALL CAR ON FEB 13 FOR FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH FOR LOSING POWER AND ITS HAPPENING TO CHEVY AVALANCHE TOO. ONE WORST CASE WAS IN 2011 DRIVING TO MARYLAND AT 12 MIDNIGHT ON HIGHWAY THE SPEED DROPPED TO 30MPH. TOOK IT TO DEALER NEXT DAY BUT IT SEAMS I LOSS POWER EVERY YEAR AND HAVE TO FIX IT EVERY YEAR. *TR

Visibility/Wiper
Filed Dec 16, 20135,000 milesMI

VEHICLE SUFFERS FROM EXCESSIVE FRONT/SIDE WINDOW FOGGING IN BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES AND THE MANUAL HVAC CONTROLS WILL NOT PERMIT THE USE OF A/C TO REMOVE THE HUMIDITY FROM THE CABIN. IN SUMMER MONTHS OR TEMPERATURES ABOVE FREEZING, THE A/C WILL ENGAGE WHEN THE FRONT WINDOW DEFROSTER IS ENABLED AND IS EFFECTIVE. WITH THE HVAC SYSTEM IN FULL DEFROST AND NO A/C, THE FOGGING ACTUALLY GETS WORSE AND VISIBILITY DECREASES TO THE POINT WHERE IT IS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE AND WE HAVE HAD TO PULL OVER AND WIPE THE WINDSHIELD AND SIDE GLASS DOWN. THIS HAS HAPPENED 6 OR SO TIMES SINCE ACQUIRING THE VEHICLE NEW IN 2010. AN ATTEMPT TO HAVE THE DEALER RESOLVE IT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL. *TR

Structure
Filed Dec 15, 201344,000 milesKS

THE DASH IS CRACKED AROUND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. UPON CHECKING THE INTERNET I FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON CHEVROLET TRUCKS. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE AIR BAG MAY BE COMPROMISED IN THE EVENT OF THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. IT MAY BE POSSIBLE THAT PIECES OF THE AIRBAG COULD BREAK OFF AND STRIKE THE OCCUPANT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OR IT MAY DEFLECT THE AIR BAG ALTOGETHER. CHEVROLET IS NOT TAKING THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR FIXING THIS EVEN THOUGH IT IS NOT A PART THAT WOULD RECEIVE WEAR AND TEAR AND IT IS JUST AN OBVIOUS DEFECT IN THE DESIGN. *TR

Electrical System
Filed Jun 30, 20118,000 milesNY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 80 TO 85 MPH, HE NOTICED THAT THE DOOR LOCKS BEGAN TO OPEN AND CLOSE, THE RPM'S REACHED 1,000, AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHIFTED INTO FIRST GEAR UNTIL IT DECREASED TO A NORMAL SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO ADVISED HIM THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE TWO MODULATORS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, WITHIN AN HOUR OF LEAVING THE DEALER THE IDENTICAL FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALER WHO ADVISED HIM THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND ADVISED HIM THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. THE FAILURE WAS DIAGNOSED BY SEVERAL DEALERS SEVEN TIMES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 8,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Full record for the 2010 Chevrolet Avalanche → · Every Avalanche year → · How the figures are calculated →